Missing Hollywood blockbusters on the big screen? You won't have to wait long, as 2021 has an amazing slate of epic movies coming your way!
To help inspire your own choice, below is a list of our 21 most anticipated movies scheduled to open in 2021! (listed in release order)
Chaos Walking
Spider-Man's Tom Holland and Star Wars' Daisy Ridley bring the A-list clout in this adaptation of Patrick Ness' YA bestseller. As per the novel, Chaos Walking is set on the planet of New World, which has been deprived of women at the same time than an all-consuming force, known as Noise, allows the men to hear one another's thoughts. When Holland's character Todd unexpectedly runs into Ridley's Viola, it prompts a race against the clock and a battle for survival against Mads Mikkelsen's nefarious Prentiss. The Bourne Identity's Doug Liman is behind the camera.
The King's Man
Director Matthew Vaughn presents the action-packed prequel to the hit Kingsman spy series. Set in the early 20th century, the film shows us how the innocuous Savile Row tailors shop first became the front for the daredevil Kingsman spy agency. Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson replace Colin Firth and Taron Egerton, with the cast also including Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, and Rhys Ifans.
Morbius
Sony's Marvel Universe continues to expand with this Jared Leto-starring superhero adventure. He plays the titular Morbius, a doctor who gains vampiric abilities and then decides to use them to fight evil. It remains to be seen how the film will connect to the earlier Venom, starring Tom Hardy, and also the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies. That said, in our trailer break down, we pointed out the Spidey mural in the trailer graffitied with the word 'murderer' – a clear sign that Morbius takes place after Far From Home's conclusion.
No Time To Die
It's been a long old wait for the 25th Bond movie, one that promises to send Daniel Craig out in style. Some 14 years after his debut in the blistering Casino Royale, Craig must now confront the nefarious Safin (Rami Malek), from outside MI5. Lashana Lynch plays the new 007 that teams up with Bond for this mission. Cary Joji Fukunaga directs this much-anticipated movie and Billie Eilish provides the moody theme song.
A Quiet Place: Part II
It's been an agonizing wait to see how director John Krasinski would continue the mythology from A Quiet Place. This eagerly anticipated horror sequel picks up with the Abbott family, led by mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt), as they seek a new home in a terrifying world ravaged by deadly monsters.
Black Widow
10 years after she first appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Black Widow finally gets her own movie. Scarlett Johansson's former Soviet assassin delves into her past, including her conflict with mysterious villain Taskmaster, and the dreaded 'Red Room'. Florence Pugh David Harbour and Rachel Weisz make up the rest of Black Widow's family.
Fast & Furious 9
Vin Diesel revs up for the ninth installment of the blockbusting Fast & Furious franchise. Following last year's detour to spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, we now return to the canonical Fast movies, with the latest entry directed by veteran series helmer Justin Lin. This time around, Diesel's character Dominic Toretto must confront his thought-to-be-lost brother, played by John Cena. There will be growls.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Director Jason Reitman steps into his father Ivan's shoes to continue the Ghostbusters legacy. This latest installment of the spook-battling franchise is a direct sequel to the original films from 1984 and 1989, in which one family discovers a remarkable Ghostbusters legacy in their newly purchased farmhouse. Paul Rudd stars as a teacher with memories of that all-important day in New York when the Ghostbusters first fought evil.
In The Heights
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes' smash-hit stage musical comes to the big screen, courtesy of Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. The story focuses on a group of disparate Manhattanites, including bodega owner Usnavi who is looking to return to his home country of the Dominican Republic. The bright young cast includes A Star Is Born's Anthony Ramos and Bojack Horseman's Stephanie Beatriz.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
The Venom sequel now has its title, a sure indication of how Woody Harrelson's feared villain, teased at the end of the first movie, is set to run rampant. Andy Serkis takes over as director with Tom Hardy back in the central role of symbiote-ridden journalist Eddie Brock. Michelle Williams is also returning as Brock's ex-wife Anne Weying, and Moonlight's Naomie Harris will also be turning up as the villainous Shriek.
Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise feels the need for speed once again, reprising his role as cocky fighter pilot Maverick in the long-overdue Top Gun sequel. This time, Maverick is older and schooling a group of new Top Gun cadets – but he's still got that rogueish twinkle in his eye. Watch out for Miles Teller as Bradley, son of Maverick's late wingman Goose (Anthony Edwards).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings
It's time to prepare for the MCU's first movie to be led by an Asian hero. Canadian-Chinese actor Simu Liu takes on the role of the comic book skilled martial artist, while director Destin Daniel Cretton prepares to re-introduce feared villain The Mandarin. The character had previously featured, controversially, in Iron Man 3, played by Ben Kingsley. Filming wrapped at the end of October, but fans will have to wait until summer 2021 for the movie's release.
Uncharted
Naughty Dog's deliriously enjoyable console adventure game has had a bumpy ride getting to the big screen. We've been waiting patiently for adventurer Nathan Drake, a kind of proto-Indiana Jones, to make his cinema debut. And in 2021, it's set to pay off, with Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, taking on the role of Nathan. Mark Wahlberg plays Victor Sullivan in this prequel to the games, with Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer directing. Meanwhile, Iron Man duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway are on scripting duties.
The Suicide Squad
Director James Gunn hops from Marvel to DC with his reimagined take on the anarchic villains' collective. The Guardians of the Galaxy helmer assembles a cast of familiar favorites and bold newcomers to, hopefully, do what the 2016 Suicide Squad movie failed to do. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Viola Davis' Amanda Waller are among those returning. Franchise newcomers include John Cena as Peacemaker, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, and even Sylvester Stallone will have a yet-to-be-announced role.
Dune
Following Blade Runner 2049, director Denis Villeneuve returns to the realm of science-fiction. This time, he adapts Frank Herbert's landmark 1965 novel, which focuses on the battle for a valuable resource located on the distant planet of Arrakis. Timothee Chalamet leads an outstanding cast, which also includes Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.
Halloween Kills
Blumhouse's 2018 reinvention of John Carpenter's classic slasher Halloween was a surprise success, honoring the spirit of the original while advancing the mythology. Director David Gordon Green and screenwriter Danny McBride are back to continue the terrifying Michael Myers mythology; fortunately, Jamie Lee Curtis' iconic Laurie Strode is back to kick ass. The recently released trailer for Halloween Kills suggests it picks up at the very end of the preceding movie, with a fire crew set to douse the burning house containing Michael. Very bad idea...
Eternals
Marvel's Phase Four era continues with the enigmatic and fantastical-sounding Eternals. The movie will introduce us to the most powerful beings in Marvel comic book lore, so it makes sense that there's a hefty cast to match. Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Lauren Ridloff, and Kumail Nanjiani unite under director Chloe Zhao (The Rider).
Mission: Impossible 7
Mission: Impossible - Fallout had us hanging onto our seats, courtesy of director Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise's astonishing stunt work. That final helicopter chase/barrel roll sequence is one of the most impressive action sequences in many years. Goodness knows how they'll top it in the seventh installment of Ethan Hunt's adventures, but Cruise will no doubt be finding many more ways to give his insurance company the sweats. Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby are all returning, as is Henry Czerny, reprising his role as Kittridge from the first Mission: Impossible movie. And Hayley Atwell has recently confirmed she's going to be in both this film and the next in the series (Mission: Impossible 8).
Spider-Man 3
Tom Holland is set to swing high in his third solo movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plot details are thin on the ground, but we can expect it to continue the shock revelations of the 2019 blockbuster Far Far Home, which culminated in Spidey's identity being leaked to the entire world. Zendaya is returning as MJ, and director Jon Watts is back behind the camera. Filming started in Oct, so we expect to begin to see more about the production over the next few months.
Matrix 4
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss return as Neo and Trinity in the fourth installment of the Matrix saga. Given that 2003's Matrix Revolutions concluded with the death of both characters, we're curious to know how the story will develop. Nevertheless, with Lana Wachowski back at the helm and the rumored inclusion of younger Morpheus, there are plenty of reasons to be excited.
